Make sure you head over to Sara's blog! Miss V's Busy Bees is having a 500 follower giveaway and it's huge!! She has 5 giveaways with lots of great products (including 3 of mine), gift cards, blog designs and even a 31 bag!!! Don't miss the opportunity to win some amazing prizes!

I just finished a new workstation jar. I decided to make a parts of speech jar to use at workstations because several of my students were having trouble distinguishing between the different parts of speech. I included nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs. My plan is to start off with nouns and verbs, then add the other two parts of speech as needed. Below you can see the jar in use. I have included a sorting sheet and an instruction card for students (this card can be placed in the jar or attached to the back of the jar).

Below is a preview of what's included in the packet. Feel free to check out this new product at my TpT store or TN store. Thanks!!

I finally got my 3 iPod Touches and iPad! My students love playing with them at stations. I only wish I had enough for each student. If you have any apps or suggestions for using them in the classroom, I would greatly appreciate it!

Something good at home...

This morning I decided to trying something I found on Pinterest, cinnamon rolls in a waffle iron! They were delicious and took half the time that it takes in the oven. For some reason, other than the fact that I can not cook, I always burn the bottoms of the rolls when I bake them in the oven. Not this time! They turned out perfectly and my daughters loved them!! You'll have to click on the picture below and try them sometime.

I'm on Fall Break and I'm doing absolutely nothing!! We had a great 3-day week at school. My students were busy putting the finishing touches on their Trick-or-Treat Bag Book Reports in preparation for our Book Character Parade on Wednesday afternoon. They were so creative with their bags and costumes! Here are just a few of their costumes...

I finally decided to be Princess Elizabeth from The Paper Bag Princess. It was the easiest costume to make! I just bought a roll of brown packing paper, packing tape, a foam crown, and gold spray paint. It took less than an hour to put the whole thing together. I used charcoal eye shadow as "soot" on my face. My students and fellow Robert Munsch fans loved the costume!

Warning: this post has nothing to do with teaching! About a month ago, Google contacted my brother-in-law about a video he posted on YouTube four years ago. They wanted to use the video in an up coming promotion. The video was of my two daughters fighting in the backseat of the car (they get along much better now). We gave permission to Google to use the video. To make a long story short, I forgot all about the video... until last night. My oldest daughter and I were watching Big Bang Theory when all of the sudden, there they were in the commercial!! It was such a shock! Their claim to fame only lasts about 2 second (and they're fighting) but we think it's pretty cool!

I really love Hope King's Trick or Treat Pumpkin Book Reports! I'm doing them in my class this year for our Book Character Parade next week.

I already shared this book in a previous blog but it's too fun not to share again (in case you missed it). My students love creating pictures with Ed Emberley's Drawing Book of Halloween. I let them create things when they're finished with their work or during those dreaded indoor recesses!

Lastly, a fun Halloween activity that I want to try at home! I found these cute Halloween apothecary jars on Pinterest.

I mean, how cute are these!! I love to put ornaments in my jars at Christmas time but never thought of using them as a Halloween decoration!! The only problem would be keeping the rest of the family out of the jars (no one ever tries to eat the ornaments!).

Ok, now on to the passing of the Boo. I'm sharing the Boo love with...

On a side note, I want to thank all of you who gave me great ideas for the Book Character Parade next week. After narrowing it down to 3 fun characters I've decided to dress up as... Princess Elizabeth in The Paper Bag Princess!! I'm so excited! I love Robert Munsch books! I'll be sure to post pictures of our fun parade.

I need some help!! Every year my school has a Halloween parade. Students are allowed to dress in their Halloween costume (as long as it's not violent or too scary) and teachers parade their classes in the halls. This year we have a new principal and she is keeping with the parade tradition. However, she has changed the Halloween costume to a book character costume. I love the idea!! But... she wants all the teachers to dress as a book character as well. I'm clueless! I need help coming up with a fun character costume (that won't make me look too ridiculous)! The parade isn't until the afternoon, so it would have to be a character that I can easily change to in a few minutes. Anyone have any ideas??? Thanks for your help!!!

I'm linking up with Marie at The Hands-On Teacher for her Something New Sunday Linky Party. It's two days late but better late than never!!
My "Something New" is my new product. I just finished my Grammar Workstation Sentence Jar on Sunday. Students use this jar during workstations to make silly sentences. The word circles are color coded for each different part of speech. It's a fun, portable workstation that's easy to make and doesn't take up much space!

Click on the picture above to preview it out at my TpT store or the picture below to preview it at my TN store.

Don't forget to head to Marie's blog on Sunday to link up with her Something New Sunday Linky party (and don't forget to follow the rules!).

After 18 long weeks of training and 4 hours, 42 minutes of running the Chicago Marathon is now history (well, a week ago it was history)!

Pre-race (it was a little chilly!!)

I feel back to normal and now have a little more time on my hands. Last week was crazy with Fall Parent/Teacher conferences but those are history as well.
I have 9 TpT projects in the works and was able to finish one last night. One of the workstation jars that I used during the second half of the year when I taught first grade was my Sentence Jar. Students choose different colored circles out of the jar to make silly sentences. Not only do they learn how to make complete sentences, but it also helps with parts of speech. It can be used in conjunction with my Voice Jar to add some expression to the sentences. Feel free to check it out at my TpT or TN stores.

It's hard to believe that it's time for another Currently! October? How did this happen?

Listening: I must admit that politics bore me! My husband is watching.

Loving: After 18 months of training, the Chicago Marathon is this Sunday! I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Let's hope it's a quick 26.2 miles!!

Thinking: The weather in Indiana is getting cooler. I need to put away the capris and sandals and get out the long pants and flats! I'm sure as soon as I do we'll have an Indian Summer!

Wanting: Need I say more!!

Needing: Parent/Teacher Conferences are next week (that's right, I'll be back at school first thing Monday morning less than 24 hours after running a marathon). I need to get my reports ready to go!

Book: One of my greatest memories of elementary school was my 2nd grade teacher reading The Gobble-uns 'll Git You Ef You Don't Watch Out by James Whitcomb Riley. She read it just like the voice it was written. The thought of goblins getting me scared me to death! I like to read the book to my students during our Halloween party but I'll never be able to do it like Mrs. Smalley did!!

Head over to Oh' Boy 4th Grade and link up with Farley for October's Currently (or the gobble-uns'll git you)!